Rolling the dice on a Nigerian prince
Bob Selinger of Eastwood recently came across the following note in his letterbox: 'Dear neighbour, we found a chicken in our backyard three days ago. If you (or someone you know) are missing a chicken, please feel free to contact us on the number provided to identify and collect it. To ensure it goes back to the rightful owner, we may ask you for a brief description. Thank you.'
'Spud guns [C8] are for sissies!' declares Doug Vorbach of Narwee. 'Persons known to me once wielded the orange cannon. I won't disclose where or by whom, but it involved a length of PVC downpipe, a snugly fitting, preferably over-ripe, navel orange and a propellant which was ignited, sending said orange a considerable distance from an elevated balcony onto neighbouring properties, accompanied by whoops of delight when it exploded on a rooftop or other target. Navel warfare.'
Judith Rostron of Killarney Heights admits that recent items on 'lethal rubber glove guns and slingshots made me think of my childhood in the 1950s, roaming the bushland of Dobroyd Point. My bow, made of bamboo, shot young bamboo sticks so far into gum trees you couldn't pull them out. Thank goodness no other targets were selected.'
Remaining under fire, Alan Phillips of Mosman recalls: 'When I was a kid, the pea-shooter was an essential armament. There was also an upmarket version with a magazine, allowing rapid fire. Hitting the teacher in the back of the neck with a volley of dried peas was a real hoot, and almost worth the ensuing detention.'
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News.com.au
6 days ago
- News.com.au
Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg slowly buys entire housing estate
For years, Palo Alto's Crescent Park was a postcard of California suburban bliss — leafy streets, neighbourly block parties and children coasting on bikes. Now, residents say their once-idyllic enclave has been transformed into a real-life game of Monopoly, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg buying up the board. Since arriving in 2011, the billionaire and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have amassed at least 11 properties along Edgewood Drive and Hamilton Ave, spending more than USD $110 million (AUD $168m). Five homes were folded into an expansive private compound for the couple and their three daughters, outfitted with guesthouses, lush gardens, a pickleball court and a pool with a hydrofloor cover, according to the New York Post. Nearby structures serve as an entertainment hub, staging area for outdoor events, and — controversially — a private school for 14 children, an unpermitted use under city code. In the middle of the compound stands a 7-foot silver statue of Chan, commissioned by Zuckerberg, while beneath it lies 7,000 square feet of underground space that permits describe as basements — but neighbours call bunkers or 'a billionaire's bat cave.' The eight years of ongoing construction have clogged streets with heavy equipment, blocked driveways, and, residents say, knocked mirrors off parked cars, according to the Times. Surveillance is another sore point. Neighbours report cameras trained toward their yards and security guards stationed in vehicles, filming visitors and questioning pedestrians on public sidewalks. 'No neighbourhood wants to be occupied,' Michael Kieschnick, whose Hamilton Ave home is bordered on three sides by Zuckerberg's holdings, told the Times. 'But that's exactly what they've done. They've occupied our neighbourhood.' City records show 56 permits approved for Zuckerberg-owned properties since his move-in. Critics accuse officials of bending to the tech titan. In one instance, police created a tow-away zone for several hours so the family could host a barbecue. Frustrations date to 2016, when Zuckerberg sought to demolish four adjacent homes and replace them with smaller houses and large basements. The Architectural Review Board rejected the proposal, but construction proceeded piecemeal, avoiding another public hearing. Former board member Peter Baltay recalled visiting the site during the review process: 'I said 'I'm standing on the sidewalk looking at this project for review.' He said, 'Well, we'd appreciate it if you could move on.' I was pretty shocked by that.' MORE: 'Greedy' Katy Perry slammed for 'unforgivable' act Greer Stone, a Palo Alto City Council member, said the billionaire has 'been finding loopholes around our local laws and zoning ordinances,' adding, 'We should never be a gated, gilded city on a hill where people don't know their neighbours.' The Zuckerbergs' spokesman, Aaron McLear, told The Post in a statement that the couple has 'taken a number of steps above and beyond any local requirements to avoid disruption in the neighbourhood.' He cited credible security threats as the reason for the protective measures and denied that cameras target neighbours. 'Mark, Priscilla and their children have made Palo Alto their home for more than a decade,' he said. 'They value being members of the community.' Not all interactions are frosty. Security guards now use quiet electric cars, and while Zuckerberg skips the annual block party, last year he sent over an ice cream cart. Before big events, staff have delivered goodwill gifts ranging from sparkling wine and chocolates to Krispy Kreme doughnuts and noise-cancelling headphones. Still, for residents like Kieschnick, the sense of community has been hard to salvage. 'Billionaires everywhere are used to just making their own rules — Zuckerberg and Chan are not unique, except that they're our neighbours,' he said. 'But it's a mystery why the city has been so feckless.'
Herald Sun
16-07-2025
- Herald Sun
Gurvinderpal Singh faces $1m payout over TikTok builder defamation
A viral Tik Tok video that landed its creator in court could be about to cost the Melbourne man more than $1m, after a jury ruled he defamed his builder. Gurvinderpal Singh took to social media including Tik Tok and Facebook after becoming unhappy with Singh Homes, who he had engaged to build a Truganina residence. A County Court jury has ruled Mr Singh, who is not related to the building firm, had maliciously sought to damage the builder with untruthful comments. RELATED: $50,000 to play bizarre real life Monopoly HIA: Australia forecast to miss 1.2 million new homes construction target Dan Andrews' 'ghost' home legacy revealed as apartment towers stall A video posted by Mr Singh on Tik Tok attracted about 220,000 views while a Dodgy Builders Melbourne Facebook page attracted 50,000 followers — with reader comments also found to be defamatory by the jury. Court transcripts show Mr Singh's false claims were made against Singh Homes after the builder terminated the contract, in relation to Mr Singh's non-payment of a variation of costs. Key injurious claims, which the builder has now had quashed as untrue, included that they were about to become insolvent. With the jury finding in Singh Homes' favour, County Court Judge Julie Clayton will be asked to assess damages and legal costs potentially worth more than $1m to the builder next month. Singh Homes' Managing director Daman Anand said the false claims had been 'very, very tough — it was like everything, our reputation over the years, had gone'. 'Hopefully now we will be able to get back out and build homes, especially with the jury giving their verdict, that will give our clients confidence that they can trust in Singh Homes,' Mr Anand said. While he did not want people to lose the confidence in providing online reviews, which he said were important for helping people make decisions to connect with a particular builder, Mr Anand said it was important that they be based on facts. 'This was a win for us, but also a win for all businesses unfairly targeted by fake social media campaigns,'' Mr Anand said. Singh Homes has operated for 16 years, employs more than 50 people and typically builds a few hundred homes a year. It has collected a slew of awards for custom built homes, including the 2024 HIA Victorian Custom Built Home $1.5 million to $2 million. Barrister Justin Castellan appeared for the builder during the trial and told the jury Mr Singh had 'wreaked havoc online' with unfactual representations. 'This is an important case because the jury has sent a clear message to all social media users that that Tik Tok, Facebook and Google reviews based on lies cannot be used as a weapon to damage a hardworking business,'' Mr Castellan said. 'People use social media all the time and they rely on it. They rely on little snippets of information and believe it. There is a responsibility on all of us not to publish lies; not to publish little snippets, without the full story, to give misleading, damaging and defaming information. Publishing lies has an impact. Abuse of social media has an impact.' Sutton Lawrence King lawyer Adam Zuchowski acted for Singh Homes, including requesting the posts be removed from the internet – which Mr Singh complied with. Mr Zuchowski said the case was unusual, particularly in that it went to trial with a jury, and he believed it was the nation's first to reach a decision relating to a malicious campaign against a business involving TikTok. No social media companies were named as defendants in the trial. Mr Zuchowski said the jury's findings showed a malicious campaign to injure a business carried risks for social media users carried risks. 'It shows you have to be careful about putting a review online,' Mr Zuchowski said. 'If you go on TikTok and say I have had a bad meal at a restaurant, that's probably fine — as long as it's true. 'So you don't need to scrape everything you have written on social media. But you do need to be truthful and give a full and truthful picture there.' Daniel Legal's Eimad Daniel, who represented Mr Singh, said his comments would be limited until further court dates scheduled for August 18 and 19. 'Among other issues to be determined, the hearing will determine the element of serious harm that any plaintiff in a defamation case must establish before seeking damages, even if that plaintiff was able to establish that he/she was defamed,' Mr Daniel said. 'In relation to the use of social media to comment on businesses, this case is obviously significant as it may influence the way people may comment on services or products they received.' Mr Zuchowski indicated they would allege a number of clients had aborted plans to build a home with Singh Homes after Mr Singh's claims appeared online. As a result of this, and the significant legal costs involved in the case so far, he said they would be seeking more than $1m. He noted a claim online that liquidators were coming for the builder had been particularly damaging against a backdrop of major builders going bankrupt, and that they would allege a number of prospective buyers walked away as a result of it, when the case returned to court next month. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Landlord move Vic tenants are begging for Block star's Melb project set to land $8m deal Grollo family sell Kooroora Hotel on Mt Buller after 20-plus years
The Age
15-06-2025
- The Age
Rolling the dice on a Nigerian prince
'I'm seeking a sponsor for an online version of Monopoly [C8],' says John Dawson of North Parramatta. 'It will be a virtual box with no board, money, houses, hotels or anything, actually, except one Chance card inscribed: 'You have been scammed'.' Bob Selinger of Eastwood recently came across the following note in his letterbox: 'Dear neighbour, we found a chicken in our backyard three days ago. If you (or someone you know) are missing a chicken, please feel free to contact us on the number provided to identify and collect it. To ensure it goes back to the rightful owner, we may ask you for a brief description. Thank you.' 'Spud guns [C8] are for sissies!' declares Doug Vorbach of Narwee. 'Persons known to me once wielded the orange cannon. I won't disclose where or by whom, but it involved a length of PVC downpipe, a snugly fitting, preferably over-ripe, navel orange and a propellant which was ignited, sending said orange a considerable distance from an elevated balcony onto neighbouring properties, accompanied by whoops of delight when it exploded on a rooftop or other target. Navel warfare.' Judith Rostron of Killarney Heights admits that recent items on 'lethal rubber glove guns and slingshots made me think of my childhood in the 1950s, roaming the bushland of Dobroyd Point. My bow, made of bamboo, shot young bamboo sticks so far into gum trees you couldn't pull them out. Thank goodness no other targets were selected.' Remaining under fire, Alan Phillips of Mosman recalls: 'When I was a kid, the pea-shooter was an essential armament. There was also an upmarket version with a magazine, allowing rapid fire. Hitting the teacher in the back of the neck with a volley of dried peas was a real hoot, and almost worth the ensuing detention.'
